Safari So Good - Every Fight is a Food Fight When You're a CannibalRecord Label: Takeover Records
Release Date: June 24, 2008

Every Fight is a Food Fight When You're a Cannibal is the debut EP from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's Safari So Good. The band, consisting of Jeff Judy (vocals), Tom McGrath (guitar, vocals), Tony Bavaria (guitar), Mike Satzinger (bass), and Dan Heatherly (drums), features former members of Breaking Panagea and The Commercials. Their five-song debut showcases the poppy, infectious sound the boys have taken on after playing in late 90s/early 2000s punk and emo bands.

The first track, “A Pirate’s Life For Me,” is as catchy as it is hard-hitting, with its pounding guitars and “oh-ohs” in the chorus. “The Right To Arm Bears” begins with furious guitar work and features an equally-addictive hook as the first song does.

“Dogs With Bees In Their Mouths So When They Bark They Shoot Bees At You” (a hilarious reference to "The Simpsons" that isn’t likely to fit on any iPod screen) features vocals that are slightly reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara circa Tell All Your Friends. Standout track “You Got It Dude” features a moody, calm intro that blasts into tight, dueling guitars and pulsating drum work.

The EP ends with a soothing cover of The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Perfect.” The feel of the record changes completely once the cover comes on, so much that the track might seem out of place at first. However, the band pulls off the cover well and it serves as a nice ending to an energetic set of pop-punk songs.

The record features some nice vocal work, as Judy has a raw and powerful voice that complements the band’s style. McGrath and Bavaria’s guitars are a tad more impressive than the standard pop-punk fare and the steady rhythm section of Satzinger and Heatherly keep the songs high on energy. The record is a little unpolished production-wise, but it doesn’t detract much from the pure catchiness of the songs.

This EP contains pop-punk played by guys than have been in the scene a little longer than most of today’s bands. While their musical maturity shines through a little, the boys don’t take themselves too seriously (see: hilarious song titles) and the record could stand with the likes of bands such as All Time Low and Hit the Lights. With better production and more releases, Safari So Good have the potential to become true pop-punk heavyweights.